


Confirmations and Affirmations

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: fiftysomething [20]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-20 01:43:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2410400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Don’t tempt me with things that aren’t going to happen, Mr. Deputy Director”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Confirmations and Affirmations

**Author's Note:**

> Almost a year ago when I wrote _[Fatherhood](http://community.livejournal.com/hotch_prentiss/49930.html)_ , I never thought it would go this far. Something about this AU just keeps pressing along though.

Emily went over the Arabic lesson for later in the afternoon. She had been asked to oversee the FBI National Academy’s Arabic and Counter-Intelligence Training this year. It was a two week, ten hour program; to say it was intensive was an understatement. Emily really preferred to stick to new Agent training…egos were smaller. Still, there had only been a few instances of having to put someone in their place, quietly, and it was always a man. 

 

All these years later, after the many awards and accolades including two FBI Field Agent of the Year plaques, and some men still thought Emily Hotchner had to justify her existence to them. She was happy there were almost as many women taking classes as men this year. When Emily was named the FBI Academy Director on September first, she wanted to start a campaign to get the Bureau to recruit more women. In training it was always emphasized how much the world was changing yet Emily would look out and see a sea of white, male faces. That needed to change as well. It was happening, but too slow for her liking.

 

Her iPhone began to buzz, flashing that she had a text message. Emily touched it and the envelope opened.

 

 _Guess what I’ll be doing in 90 minutes_?—Hotch

 

She quickly typed in a reply.

 

 _What_?—Prentiss

 

 _Sitting down with the President of the United States_ —Hotch

 

 _Are you serious_?—Prentiss

 

 _Why do I still have you in my phone as Prentiss_?—Hotch

 

 _You know why…some instincts never go away. Focus, honey_ —Prentiss

 

 _Right. I'm quite serious_ —Hotch

 

 _Call me. I want to hear your voice_ —Prentiss

 

She waited a minute or two before The Carpenters _Close to You_ came out of her speakers.

 

“What's happening?” she asked.

 

“Hello to you too, baby.”

 

“Hey, Hotch.” Emily grinned. “What's happening?”

 

“Are you proud of me? Is this turning you on?”

 

“You're insane.” His wife replied, laughing. “What's going on?”

 

“Nancy and I are going over to the White House to discuss the Interim Director position. There are five years left on her term so that really would set me up nicely for retirement at 65.”

 

“I'm sensing a but.”

 

“It’s an election year.” Hotch replied. “If the next Administration wants their guy then it’s sayonara to me. An Interim position does not carry the kind of job security I would like.”

 

“They have absolutely no reason and surely no basis to fire you.” Emily said.

 

“No, but I would not be the first person pushed into early retirement. For all that I could stay at the Deputy Director helm. There is a way to assure the push out won't happen.”

 

“No.”

 

“Em, you don’t even know what I am going to say.”

 

“How long have we been married?” she asked.

 

“Fourteen years this May.”

 

“And you still think I don’t know what you're going to say, Aaron.”

 

“OK, tell me then.” Hotch said.

 

“If you go the Senate confirmation route there are no worries about you being forced out of your job.”

 

“You're good, baby.”

 

“I'm a profiler and your wife. It’s not a good idea.”

 

“Why not?” Hotch asked. “We talked about the possibility before.”

 

“Where there is the political problem. Those who don’t want this would hold it up in red tape until the next election and you could just be overlooked by the next Administration’s guy. There are also the personal aspects.”

 

“What personal aspects?” Hotch asked.

 

“You'll sail through a confirmation, Hotch. There are no blemishes on your record and you are almost universally liked and respected.”

 

“I'm still waiting…”

 

“You're not the only person whose life will be scraped through with a fine-toothed comb. They will find people we don’t even remember and get all the information they want. You may become the next Director of the FBI but not before you're taken down a notch or two in a very public forum. I mean maybe I read too much Vince Flynn but…”

 

“I would never let that happen, Emily.” He said. “No job is worth it. Protecting you and our children is the most important job I have.”

 

“I know that.”

 

“Don’t ever doubt it.” Hotch said in a firm tone.

 

“I don’t, I swear. There is one more issue though.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“Time. If the confirmation is the best way to go, you are signing up for ten more years. You won't be retiring until 70. They won't bother with the hoopla if they know you just want to retire halfway through your term.”

 

“I definitely want to listen to everything said at this meeting and talk it over with you before I come to any decision. I don’t need to be Director of the FBI…I don’t even think I want it. I hate politics.”

 

“I know honey.” Emily said.

 

“I love you though.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

“All the way to the moon and back?” Hotch asked.

 

“And across the universe.”

 

“We should be closer so I can kiss you when you say that. I should always be close enough to kiss you, Mrs. Hotchner.”

 

“You're not going to get an argument out of me.” Emily replied.

 

“Hey, let me ask you something.” Hotch asked.

 

“Shoot.”

 

“Would you let me take you to dinner?”

 

“Ooh, I don’t know about that, Deputy Director Hotchner. Fraternization is frowned upon by the powers that be.”

 

“As quiet as it’s kept, I am the powers that be. I'm willing to completely overlook it.”

 

“Oh really? Well, keep talking.”

 

“I am thinking about a small, romantic table for two, candlelight, soft music from a torch singer, and a good bottle of wine. We’ll talk, hold hands, I will tell you how damn beautiful you are, and there will definitely be canoodling. I think I've fallen behind on telling you each and every reason that I love you.” Hotch said.

 

“That sounds lovely.” Emily sighed.

 

“Its all yours…just say yes.”

 

“Absolutely positively yes. What time?”

 

“We have a seven o’clock reservation at 701. I can't wait to be alone with you.”

 

“Ditto. I want you to have a successful meeting this afternoon.”

 

“I will. Is your day going well, baby?”

 

“Mmm hmm. I've got the Arabic and Counter-Intelligence seminar at 2. I should be thinking about lunch.”

 

“I’ll let you go.” Hotch said. 

 

“Knock ‘em dead, tiger. Text me when it’s over.”

 

“Will do. I love you, Em.”

 

“I love you more. I'm excited about tonight.”

 

“I considered getting us an overpriced hotel room for all kinds of fun but it’s a school night.” Hotch replied.

 

“Don’t tempt me with things that aren’t going to happen, Mr. Deputy Director.”

 

“Oh they're going to happen, just not at the Jefferson, Hilton, or King George. Surely we can set Woodley Park on fire with our heat.”

 

Emily laughed, telling him once more that she loved him.

 

“I’ll see you later.”

 

“Bring your adventurous spirit.” Hotch said.

 

“I will. See ya.”

 

“Bye, baby.”

 

Emily turned off her phone, still wearing a smile. She was the one who told him that being the Director of the FBI would be a good thing. It certainly wasn’t so she could win some bet they made 15 years ago on a road trip. Hotch was dedicated to his work and had sacrificed for it more than anyone probably should. Despite predictions to the contrary, he rose steadily up the rungs of the FBI ladder. He was well-liked, trustworthy, thorough, and no-nonsense. The only person who ever owned Aaron Hotchner was Aaron Hotchner. 

 

While surely he was not egoless, the cause of the Bureau would come before any close-ups for him. That didn’t mean that the idea of confirmation and deep dark secrets didn’t scare the hell out of Emily. Right or wrong, surely wrong, there were still things she had not told Hotch about her past. She didn’t want him finding out from the New York Daily News. She didn’t want her children to find out at all. Despite those fears, she would stand by him through the depths of hell and back. He had, and would, always do the same. 

 

Maybe it was time to tell him those things anyway. It was so long ago, almost as if they didn’t even happen to her. Almost. Maybe it would just be better to put them to rest. Would opening an almost 40 year old Pandora’s Box really be the best idea Emily ever had? Well, it would be better than some reporter or Senate aide doing it. 

 

Honesty, even to a fault, was one of the main tenets of the Hotchner marriage. An omission wasn’t a lie as far as Emily was concerned but she would never send the man she loved into the dark with no idea what or who could hurt him. She wouldn’t do it tonight, tonight was about romance, but she would do it. Hotch deserved it and so did she. Her phone buzzed again; Emily saw the text envelope. She opened it.

 

 _I love you. I love you madly, more than anything. Always and forever. Don’t worry because that’s never going to change_ —Hotch

 

 _You have no idea how much that comforts me. I love you too and I’ll see you at seven. We’ll talk then_ —Prentiss

 

***

                                                                                                                                             

  
 


End file.
